Aboriginal Totems
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EXPLORING WAYS OF KNOWING, PROTECTING & ACKNOWLEDGING ABORIGINAL TOTEMS ACROSS THE EUROBODALLA SHIRE FAR SOUTH COAST, NSW Prepared by Susan Dale Donaldson Environmental & Cultural Services Prepared for The Eurobodalla Shire Council Aboriginal Advisory Committee FINAL REPORT 2012 THIS PROJECT WAS JOINTLY FUNDED BY COPYRIGHT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF INDIGNEOUS CULTURAL & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS Eurobodalla Shire Council, Individual Indigenous Knowledge Holders and Susan Donaldson. The Eurobodalla Shire Council acknowledges the cultural and intellectual property rights of the Indigenous knowledge holders whose stories are featured in this report. Use and reference of this material is allowed for the purposes of strategic planning, research or study provided that full and proper attribution is given to the individual Indigenous knowledge holder/s being referenced. Materials cited from the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Islander Studies [AIATSIS] ‘South Coast Voices’ collections have been used for research purposes. These materials are not to be published without further consent, which can be gained through the AIATSIS. DISCLAIMER Information contained in this report was understood by the authors to be correct at the time of writing. The authors apologise for any omissions or errors. ACKNOWLEDMENTS The Eurobodalla koori totems project was made possible with funding from the NSW Heritage Office. The Eurobodalla Aboriginal Advisory Committee has guided this project with the assistance of Eurobodalla Shire Council staff - Vikki Parsley, Steve Picton, Steve Halicki, Lane Tucker, Shannon Burt and Eurobodalla Shire Councillors Chris Kowal and Graham Scobie. A special thankyou to Mike Crowley for his wonderful images of the Black Duck [including front cover], to Preston Cope and his team for providing advice on land tenure issues and to Paula Pollock for her work describing the black duck from a scientific perspective and advising on relevant legislation. This project would not have been possible without the focus and dedication of the Aboriginal community, especially the project participants Georgina Parsons, Gloria Carberry, Arthur Andy, Tom Butler, Trisha Ellis, Leonard Nye, Randall Mumbler, Lynne Thomas, Warren Foster and Pam Flanders. Sadly we acknowledge the loss of Pam Flanders and Leonard Nye. We dedicate this report to Aunty Pam and Lenny; may their families enjoy the benefits of their input into this investigation. It is acknowledged that although totem species and associated cultural values disregard Local Government boundaries, the scope of this project is based on the Eurobodalla Shire given it is the Eurobodalla Shire Council who are supporting the community in this project. It is also acknowledged that a great deal of cultural information about totems is restricted and that only the unrestricted information is contained within this report. WARNING CONTAINS CULTURAL MATERIAL AND REFERENCE TO DECEASED ABORIGINAL PEOPLE TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 1 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Eurobodalla totems project ...................................................................... 2 The cultural context................................................................................................................................. 2 The study area ......................................................................................................................................... 4 The project ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Relevant legislation ................................................................................................................................. 6 Methodology ........................................................................................................................................... 8 PART TWO: BACKGROUND RESEARCH what anthropologists recorded in the past ........................... 9 Howitt 1904 ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Mathews 1904 .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Creamer 1984 ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Merrimans Island Aboriginal Place reporting 1975 ........................................................................... 11 Rose, James and Watson 2003 ............................................................................................................ 11 PART THREE: ABORIGINAL PERSPECTIVES the cultural significance of totems today. ....................... 13 What is a totem? ................................................................................................................................... 13 Multiple connections made through totems ..................................................................................... 15 Personal totems ................................................................................................................................. 16 Family totems ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Tribal totems ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Ceremonial totems ........................................................................................................................... 18 Mutual protection and assistance ...................................................................................................... 19 Passing on the cultural knowledge: teaching places ...................................................................... 22 Places valued as totem habitat .......................................................................................................... 23 Wallaga Lake ..................................................................................................................................... 23 ‘Old cricketing ground’, Akolele ..................................................................................................... 24 ‘The Weir’, Malabar Lagoon ............................................................................................................ 24 Pedro Point and Swamp, Moruya ................................................................................................... 24 Bingi Bingi Point .................................................................................................................................. 24 Bevian ‘Barlings’ Swamp .................................................................................................................. 25 PART FOUR: Where to from here? ........................................................................................................ 26 Supporting maintenance and transmission of cultural knowledge ............................................... 26 Encourage cooperative management of totemic breeding sites ................................................ 26 Increase the general public’s awareness of totems through education...................................... 27 Information exchange session ............................................................................................................. 27 Hazard Reduction Burning: Wallaga Lake Koori community. ......................................................... 27 Incorporating totem breeding sites into ESC Aboriginal Heritage Inventory Culturally Sensitive Landscape model ................................................................................................................................. 27 Recommendations for Bega Valley Shire Council............................................................................ 28 REFERENCES CITED ................................................................................................................................. 29 Appendix one : Project Information Agreement .............................................................................. 31 Appendix two: Scientific description of the Black Duck .................................................................. 33 Appendix three: Preliminary listing of Totem species in the Eurobodalla. ..................................... 36 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The term ‘totem’ is used to describe the complex inter-relationship between people and the natural world, the two providing mutual benefits to each other through a spiritual, yet tangible inter-dependency. The cultural practise exists across Australia [see Elkin 1938], including in parts of New South Wales [see Rose, James and Watson 2003]. In this region, having a totem has been likened to having a friend. The Dhurga term for friend is ‘moodji’ and one’s personal totem is known as one’s ‘moodjingarl’. Over the past century totemic affiliations across the NSW South East region have been identified by a number of researchers including Howitt in 1904, Rose, James and Watson in 2003 and Donaldson in 2006. During the Eurobodalla Shire Aboriginal Heritage Study [2005 – 2008] members of the local Aboriginal community expressed a desire